Not Sure What to Think of This?

I was talking with my Mom on the phone last night. She lives in Illinois, where I grew up.

She told me they're having epidemics of both whooping cough and.....now this I'm finding it a wee bit difficult to believe.......smallpox??

Now I don't question the whooping cough. We had a minor epidemic of it here last year and the year before. But small pox? Don't you think that one would hit the news?? So I questioned her quite a bit, and yes she swears it's small pox and not chicken pox.

Now I'm pretty sure I've learned on my own and thru school that small pox is still out there, although no where near the threat today that it used to be. Cases of it still do show up on rare occasion. (I'm thinking of more under developed countries)

I think she's confused. Because then she said that she had to check my brother's old vaccination records to see when he'd had his shots because they're making people get re-vaccinated.

Now, I've had 3 kids. And I don't recall a single vaccine for small pox. Granted, I've had a brain injury, so my memory can be like cheese cloth at times. But surely I don't recall it, nor do I recall that being on the list for grands vaccines.

So I think somehow Mom is mixed up. I just am not sure how. lol I kept asking her if she was sure she wasn't getting it confused with chicken pox, and she kept insisting she wasn't. I still think she's confused it, yet she's a nurse, so really shouldn't have. And she has a friend who works for the Health Dept.

Anyone from central Illinois got a clue as to what she's talking about??

Whooping cough, yes. But I cannot find any mention of a smallpox outbreak, and I KNOW that would be all over the headlines. There is concern that terrorists could potentially use bioweapons, including smallpox virus, to wreck havoc on an unsuspecting and unprepared US population. This topic has been in the news for many years.

We've had whooping cough break-outs here several school years in a row. Last year, it was MRSA and they actually closed some schools for a few days to do disinfecting. However, small pox would be all over the news.

Well, I don't have a brain injury and my memory can be like cheese cloth at times too!

I do recall something being in the news about small pox last year. Not about there being an epidemic, but about the chances of a resurgence epidemic. And the resulting evidence proved that it was highly unlikely.

Whooping cough, definitely. More and more people are skipping the pertussis vaccine due to side effects in infants (I stopped after the first one with easy child and difficult child never had it) and as a result whooping cough has made quite a comeback in the last 15 years or so. difficult child had as a baby often and ended up under a tent at the hospital. Serious stuff.

Whooping cough has been breaking out quite a bit. We've had several cases of it, here in NJ. No smallpox...that would be a complete disaster. I do wish they would continue to vaccinate for it. It's scary to think that it could be used as germ warfare.

There are occasionally REACTIONS to smallpox vaccines - and they are horrible,,,but send your Mom the link - tell her that we do worry, did take her concern seriously (more than she'll know ) and there are no cases of smallpox.